Nikon Df official: The retro-style DSLR like a D4 from the past, complete with non-AI lens compatibility

It's official - Nikon's "Pure Photography" camera, the Nikon Df, has been unveiled. But it's not what we had initially expected - this is a full-frame DSLR camera through and through, not the rumoured full-frame mirrorless camera that had been doing the rumour rounds.

The Df is Nikon's take on a retro-styled DSLR. It comes complete with a glass pentaprism viewfinder that offers 100 per cent field of view and has features familiar among the rest of Nikon's FX range: the same 16-megapixel sensor and Expeed 3 processing engine of the D4; the same class of weather-sealing as the D800; and the same 39-point autofocus system of the D610.

What's clearly new is its entirely different dial-based approach to the controls, dividing shutter speed, ISO sensitivity, exposure compensation and shooting mode to four individual, lockable dials.

The Nikon Df is also the only Nikon DSLR compatible with modern F-mount lenses and - thanks to a collapsible metering coupling lever - even vintage non-AI Nikkor lenses. That's a serious stack of glass to play with if you can delve into those older lenses.

As with any Nikon FX DSLR camera there's a whole lot of extra specification detail on board. A 5.5fps burst mode, a new shutter mechanism capable of 150,000 shutter cycles, the well-established 2,016 pixel RGB metering sensor, the EN-EL14a li-ion battery now capable of 1,400 shots per charge, two front-positioned function (Fn and Pv) buttons, and much more besides.

We've spent time with the Nikon Df ahead of its official unveiling and have been adjusting the dials to see what we think of this new model. Read on for more info below:

The Nikon Df will be available from 28 November in black and silver finishes. It's only available with the special edition 50mm f/1.8 G Nikkor lens, priced at £2750. No sign of a body-only option, which seems a bit of an oddity, given the range of compatible lenses, but perhaps such a box will appear in the future.

Gaming geek, semi-failed cyclist, big screen and movie lover and fan of both big beats and beer. As the former Reviews Editor at What Digital Camera, self-confessed camera geek Mike has seen pretty much every digital camera that's been made. His work has featured in a variety of well-respected titles, including Wired, TechRadar, Professional Photographer and many more.